Improvement in artesian-well borers



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. \(VOODHOUSE, OF ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ARTESIAN-WELL BORERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 179,384., dated June 27, 1876 application filed April 15,1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. WooDHoUsE, of Anaheim, Los Angeles county, State of California, have invented an Artesian-Well Borer; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention without further invention or experiment.

Considerable difficulty has heretofore been experienced in boring Artesian wells, for the reason that frequently at the depth of several hundred feet very hard rock is reached, in which the ordinary form of drill usually employed fails to cut a'bore of sufficient size and regularity for the well-pipe shoe to pass through.

To obviate these and other defects I have constructed a drill by which, by reason of an arrangement of automatically expanding," or projecting side drills and chisels, and a main center drill below such arrangement of side drills, a bore of suflicient sizeand smoothness will be insured in every instance.

The main center drill A of this device is mortised to the lower end of a cylinder, b, in such manner that while it will be held securely in place during the drilling operation it may be readily detached therefrom when necessary. This may be accomplished by means of bolts with spring catches or looks conveniently arranged to maintain the tenons securely within their mortises.

The mortises in the drill A are so formed that passages 0 shall be left therein for the influx of water and drillings into the cylinder through a valve located in the lower part thereof.

The cylinder 11 is constructed with three series of longitudinal recesses or compartments, d, each series embracing about ten compartments, at such distance apart that the drills and cutters pivoted therein may thoroughly cut away such rock as may have been left by the main center drill.

The side drills e are pivoted at or near their upper ends within the said compartments by means of bolts or pins, or by a rod passing entirely around the cylinder, or in any convenient manner by which they can be disconnected for repairs. Said drills are provided with a drill or bit, f, and also a cutting-blade or chisel, g, located higher up on the shank, and serving to smooth the walls of the well, which may have been left by the lower drills in a rough condition. These side drills also rest upon springs 71,, which are proportionate in strength to the work to be done, and tend to press the said drills and cutters outward to the working-point during operation, which is practically a vertical and slowly rotating movement of the device. During any movement, however, of the device within the shoe of the well-tube, the drills and cutters are compressed and fit snugly within their respective compartments, the springs being usually compressed within recesses formed by cutting away a portion of the lower side of each drill.

The chisels g are intended to be made separate from the drills e, and to be secured thereto by belts or suitable mechanical means. A metal disk, 6, somewhat less in diameter than the cylinder b, is secured to the upper end of the same by short rods or studs It, so that an open space shall be left between the two. A screw-bolt, l, is fastened in this plate, and is the medium through which the drilling device couples with the usual working-shaft.

The lower end of the working-shaft is provided. with a guide-disk, m, which maintains the drill in a steady central position, and couples with the said rod.

When rock or other substance is reached which necessitates the use of this construction of drill it is coupled'with the workingshaft, as described, inclosed within the shoe or lower cylindrical case of the well-tube, and sunk to the bottom of the well. After this said shoe is raised above the several series of side cutters, and the operation of drilling commenced.

The side drills will be kept wet by water, which will usually flow over the top of the cylinder but in case no water is reached it can be supplied fromabove.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. An Artesian-well drill, constructed with a main-center drill, and with side drills, or side drills and chisels, moving conjointly Wit-l1 said main drill, and arranged to project from, and contract within, a recessed cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an Artesian-Well drill, the main center drill A, mortised to a cylinder, 1), having the several compartments d, and provided with the detachably-connected drills and chisels f g, substantially as specified.

3. The guide on upon the lower end of the shaft, in combination with the upper coupling and connecting devices of the drill, consisting of a bolt, 1, and disk 1', supported by studs, substantially as specified.

JOHN ADAM WOODHOUSE.

Witnesses: Y

J. W. CLARK, P. A. CLARK 

